Tech F1i: A closer look at the Red Bull RB13

A CURIOUS NOSE JOB

While the latest Red Bull design might come off as minimalist, the car does feature some unique traits.

The most noticeable originality is the long nosecone with a hole at the thumb tip. The inlet comprises a series of thin carbon vanes (see white arrows) that ensure the layout is compliant with the technical regulations (the upper and lower parts of the cavity connect thanks to the vanes to form a single cross section).

The air entering the hole is vented out right behind the thumb tip and not channelled towards the ‘S’-duct system, nor inside the cockpit. By reducing the frontal surface that blocks the airflow, the aperture optimises the air flowing above the neutral centre section of the front wing and towards the bigger bargeboards.

It is worth noticing that the front wing flaps bend upwards (see yellow arrow) while they go in the opposite direction on all other cars.